Historical Markers
Marathon runners race down city street with buildings - race courses through history

Running · principal city, Colorado

Race Courses Through History in Aurora, CO

For race directors: courses that pass listed sites, with the history on the course map and on the medal.

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Photo: Jerry Wei on Unsplash

Aurora is one of the cities the Denver–Aurora–Centennial, CO metro area is officially named after. A heritage trail used to mean printed brochures that went out of date the year they were printed. A live map does not go stale.

Runners in a city marathon race - race courses through history
Photo: Jerry Wei on Unsplash
Runners crossing finish line with medals and drinks - race courses through history
Photo: Leviosa Hou on Unsplash
A woman placing a blue and yellow medal around a man's neck outdoors - race courses through history
Photo: Olek Buzunov on Unsplash

On the record near Aurora, CO

The 12 nearest

385 listed historic sites on the record within 30 miles of Aurora, CO.

  1. Smith, William, House1.1 miles from the center of Aurora · Building · Aurora · listed 1985National Register of Historic Places
  2. Jamaica Primary School1.6 miles from the center of Aurora · Building · Aurora · listed 2017National Register of Historic Places
  3. Wilson, S.A., Elementary School1.6 miles from the center of Aurora · Building · Colorado Springs · listed 2017National Register of Historic Places
  4. Gully Homestead1.7 miles from the center of Aurora · Building · Aurora · listed 1986National Register of Historic Places
  5. DeLaney Barn1.7 miles from the center of Aurora · Building · Aurora · listed 1989National Register of Historic Places
  6. Robidoux, M.J. Lavina, House2.2 miles from the center of Aurora · Building · Aurora · listed 2011National Register of Historic Places
  7. Wilson, Blanche A., House2.2 miles from the center of Aurora · Building · Aurora · listed 1996National Register of Historic Places
  8. Fuller, Granville, House2.4 miles from the center of Aurora · Building · Aurora · listed 2012National Register of Historic Places
  9. Commandant of Cadets Building, US Air Force Academy2.5 miles from the center of Aurora · Building · Aurora · listed 2007National Register of Historic Places
  10. Photography and Armament School Buildings, Lowry Air Force Base3.6 miles from the center of Aurora · Building · Denver · listed 2002National Register of Historic Places
  11. Lowry Field Brick Barracks3.6 miles from the center of Aurora · Building · Denver · listed 1998National Register of Historic Places
  12. Chapel No. 13.7 miles from the center of Aurora · Building · Denver · listed 1982National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Aurora, CO. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Race Courses in Aurora, step by step

  1. 1

    Pick the distance first, then the stops that fit it

  2. 2

    Load the route and note the regroup points

  3. 3

    Run easy and stop at each marker long enough to read it

  4. 4

    Take one photo per stop, no more, and keep moving

  5. 5

    Save the route so the next run starts where this one ended

What people in Aurora, CO ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Aurora, CO?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

What does a license for Aurora, CO include?

Routes built from every listed site in your area, your branding and stories, badges and challenges, and visitor counts you can report on. Terms are set per organization and area, so there is no single-price page.

Do we have to maintain the site data ourselves?

No. The listed sites come from the published records and are kept current centrally. You add the local stories and the routes you want visitors to follow.

How a visit works in Aurora

  1. Step 1

    Find the place

    Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Aurora, CO the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.

  2. Step 2

    Read the story

    The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.

  3. Step 3

    Get there under your own power

    Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Aurora, CO are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.

  4. Step 4

    Collect it and come back

    Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.

The rules that make it work

The record comes first

Every site on these pages comes from a published register or marker program, with its source named. Nothing is listed that is not on the record.

Read the whole story

A marker is a few lines on a post. The story behind it is longer, and it includes the hard parts. Both are worth the stop.

Movement makes it stick

People remember the places they walked to. A route through five markers teaches more than fifty marker pages read on a couch.

Local beats famous

The marker two streets over usually has a better story than the one in the guidebook, and nobody else is standing in front of it.

Respect the ground

Many sites are private homes, working churches or cemeteries. View from the public way, follow posted hours, and leave it as you found it.

Every visitor can improve it

Markers go missing, get moved, or carry mistakes. A photo or a location fix from the person standing there is how the record stays right.

More ways in around Aurora, CO

Tour group listens to guide by a pond - visitor bureau history trailsVisitor Bureau TrailsTwo people stand near a wooden windmill on a hill - county heritage tourismCounty Heritage TourismPeople browsing stalls at an outdoor market - chamber of commerce history toursChamber History ToursCyclists ride a path near a lake and pine forest - parks and recreation history programsParks and Rec ProgramsPeople stroll past a yellow building on a sunny street - main street downtown history toursMain Street ToursGroup of people sitting on white car during daytime - state tourism licensingState Tourism LicensingPeople entering an old building with ornate doors - historic site operatorsSite OperatorsTwo hikers consult a map near an old stone archway - heritage trail appHeritage Trail App

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